President Pennybaker

July 21, 2008
Adding to the slate of presidential-election titles, Feiffer’s (Henry the Dog with No Tail
) spirited picture book introduces a fresh-faced candidate, plucky Luke Pennybaker. Fed up with the blatant unfairness at home (no TV time, even after he’s done his chores), Luke and his running mate, Lily the dog, represent the Birthday Party, espousing a platform of messy rooms all around as well as cake, ice cream and pets for everyone. When their message (“Be fair!”) catches on, Luke and Lily find themselves in the White House (painted orange at Luke’s request)—which may not be ideal after all. Goode’s (Baby Face
) airy, pale-hued watercolors cleverly set the context. Seemingly realistic, the illustrations are blithely anachronistic, mixing black-and-white TVs, sputtering jalopies, a 1940s police uniform and knee-length boys’ trousers—a faux-historical setting just right for a tale framed as “the story of how Luke Pennybaker became the youngest boy ever to run for president.” The line between fantasy and real-world politics stays clear, leaving readers free to enjoy the fun. Ages 4–8.

August 1, 2008
K-Gr 3-Young Luke Pennybaker realizes that life is unfair after receiving one too many "no's" from his dad. In response, he decides to run for president. With his dog as running mate and campaign promises that address homework, sleeping late, and the right to a messy room, his candidacy quickly takes off. The "Birthday Party" candidate beats his Democratic and Republican rivals in a landslide. When he moves into the White House, which has been painted orange in response to Luke's persuasiveness, President Pennybaker soon learns that even free ice cream and presents won't please every one of his constituents. He promptly resigns, leaving the leadership of the nation to his dog. Deadpan narration allows the absurdity of the premise to carry the day, with plenty of help from the illustrations. Goode's breezy watercolors set just the right tone. Luke looks amusingly earnest and always very much a regular kid. Other characters are equally expressive, without being too exaggerated. Old-fashioned phones, televisions, and other implements set the action in an earlier era, neatly adjusted to include rich ethnic diversity and a female presidential candidate. The humor is deftly understated, both visually and verbally, making this an amusing and appealing send-up of politics and children's chores."Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2008
Young Luke Pennybakers moment of disillusionment comes when he has finished his list of chores and still isnt permitted to watch television. Life is unfair. How to remedy the situation? Run for president. First, he gets the support of his schoolmates on a platform of less homework and more pets. Then he spends the summer campaigning andwins the election, even though he cant vote. But once in office, Luke realizes the jobs harder than he thought. On to plan B. Obviously, the storys specificsarent intended to bear much scrutiny, but even so, the humor in places seems forced.Happily, the talented Goodes artwork finds fun everywhere: atopa mountain with Luke speechifying to backpackers; ata debate wherehis idea of painting the White Houseorange is topicnumber 1; andon the job, whereLukes advisors leave him less time to watch TV than before. With a retro look (Luke even resembles a young Skeezixfrom the Gasoline Alley comic strip), this is good-looking election-year fare.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)